Until last August, Autoheart used to be The Gadsdens, which might mean something to you, but I’d never heard of the East London five-piece in their previous incarnation. However, as an ardent supporter of piano-centric pop, I’m wondering why it’s taken this long for this worthy band to interrupt my radar. (Pause to check out “The Sailor Song,” released in 2009, as a quick primer.)

Led by Jody Gadsden on vocals, Autoheart includes Simon Neilson (piano/ keyboards), Barney JC (guitar), David Roman (drums), and Jihea Oh (bass). The band’s first single under their new musical banner is “Control,” a song described as a “stark portrait of the reality of the breakdown of a doomed relationship.”

“Control” was produced by Danton Supple, who’s also handling Autoheart’s upcoming album. It’s an excellent behind-the-board pick considering Supple’s hand in guiding Coldplay’s X&Y and Starsailor’s Silence Is Easy. Doing a bit of research, I also discovered that Supple recorded and mixed one of my favorite Pet Shop Boys b-sides, “Your Funny Uncle.”

Autoheart posted “Control” as a free download in mid-December, and now they’ve premiered the music video. Black-and-white clips of Jody Gadsden emotively lipsynching along to the song are intercut with footage of San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City environs. What landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Space Needle, and the Statue of Liberty signify in relation to the lyrical content of “Control” is completely lost on me, but the beautiful world of Autoheart is still one worth paying a visit to.

Free download of Autoheart – “Control” via the band’s SoundCloud